


Hope in Death

by marinaiamadiamond



Category: Bleach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 21:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7330741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinaiamadiamond/pseuds/marinaiamadiamond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karin is fatally injured when she is hit by a drunk driver coming home from soccer practice. Ichigo rushes to the hospital to see her, having been in the soul society at the time of the accident. Later, Toshiro pays her a visit in her hospital room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope in Death

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry I really shouldn't have done this, but I was bored so....enjoy the pain? I don't know. I apologize right off the bat. Anyway, this is a stand alone thing so there won't be a part 2 or anything. (I know myself better than to think I have the commitment to do a series lmao)

It was evening when Ichigo returned to the world of the living. There was a gorgeous sunset reflecting off the river as he made his way home. Another victory, the world saved yet again. He vaguely wondered how much easier his life would be if people would just stop trying to take over. But then he also wondered how boring his life would be if that ever happened.

“Ichigo!”

The voice had come from across the road. Ichigo turned away from the river to see Tatsuki sprinting towards him. “Tatsuki? What’s wrong? If this is about Orihime, she’s alright she should be coming back with Rukia and Chad in a few d - ”

“ – This isn’t about her. Listen, you need to go to the hospital right now, Ichigo. And I don’t mean your family’s clinic, I mean Karakura general,” Ichigo was surprised. Usually Tatsuki only sounded this desperate when Orihime was involved. It was making him get a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“What are you talking about Tatsuki?” His voice didn’t sound quite right when he said it. Even he could tell. It bothered him, but something was wrong. Very wrong. He just didn’t know what yet.

Tatsuki took a deep breath. She seemed to be trying to steady herself. “There was an accident. Karin was walking home from soccer practice and she was hit by a drunk driver. It’s serious. The doctors did all they could, but… she doesn’t have long. Go, Ichigo! Now!”

Ichigo didn’t remember deciding to run. But he must have, because here he was, almost getting hit by a car himself as he sprinted through traffic. He knew he was afraid, but it was almost as if he had hit pause on the emotion. It was like hearing sound through water. He could make out words and sounds but it wasn’t a conversation. He couldn’t respond yet. It was like when he was in his inner world with his inner hollow instead of zangetsu. Everything was the same but wrong at the same time.

He ran towards the hospital doors, but stopped when he saw his father standing beside a worn looking bench, smoking.

“Dad!” Ichigo said.

“You’re back. Good. She’ll never say it but I know she worries about you when you’re gone. Come on, she’ll want to see you.”

“Dad, is it really that bad? Tatsuki said… could she really die?”

“It was a bad accident. She has serious damage to her spinal cord and she hit her head pretty hard. Even if she lives, which is unlikely, she’ll likely never walk again, she’ll have nearly constant headaches, memory problems, and she likely wouldn’t be able to complete school. From the time since the accident her injuries haven’t stabilized. If they were going to do so, it most likely would’ve happened already. Her memory is getting worse. They don’t think she’ll live another week.”

Ichigo was having trouble breathing. His chest hurt. He was crying. He knew he must look pathetic but he’d lost control. His father rubbed his back and guided him into sitting on the bench.

“Breathe, Ichigo. In through your nose and out through your mouth. I know it’s hard but right now you’re having a panic attack and I need you to calm down.” A few minutes passed while Ichigo regained his composure. “There you go. That’s better. Listen, this isn’t going to be what you want to hear, but a life where Karin isn’t able to play soccer, can’t attend school with her friends, and gradually loses all of her memories is just a longer, more heartbreaking to watch death. Even if she lives, she won’t be able to be the same person.”

Ichigo took a few more deep breaths.

“Think about it though. It kills me, too, but right now death is a mercy for her. And for you.”

Ichigo looked up. “What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell me it’s taking you're this dense? If she dies her soul will pass over to the soul society. For me and Yuzu, she’s gone forever, but for you she’s just moving away. You can see her whenever you’re over there.”

Hope spread through Ichigo like he’d just taken a huge gulp of hot chocolate after coming in freezing from the snow. It was warm, sweet, and made him feel good again. Safe. No matter what happened he wouldn’t lose her forever. “I’m going to go see her. What room is she in?”

“3B. Tell Yuzu to meet me here. She needs to eat something.”

“Got it.” Ichigo made his way to Karin’s room. When he walked in, he instantly felt a surge of guilt. He hadn’t looked at Karin yet, and he was still afraid, despite the hope his father had given him, but Yuzu looked terrible. She clearly hadn’t been home since Karin was admitted, and it looked like she hadn’t eaten or slept either. The bags under her eyes were purple and it looked like she’d lost a few pounds from combined stress and little food. Maybe if he’d been there it would’ve been a bit easier for her. When she saw him, though it was like her face had been a dark room and him arriving had turned on a light. She hugged him.

“Ichigo thank god you’re here. You’re alright.”

“Of course I am. Sorry for worrying you. We can catch up later, okay? I’ll take care of Karin, you go meet dad by the entrance, you need to get something to eat.”

She hesitated, then said “okay,” and left to meet their father.

Ichigo turned to face Karin. From the outside she didn’t look too bad. She had a few bandages around her head, and some where she clearly had scrapes on her arms, but clearly the most serious of her injuries were invisible to the eye. She was smiling at him like she was relieved he made it in time. He wanted to kill something.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine. So, I assume you saved the world or something?”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I put a stop to some bad people.”

“In the soul society?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good. I won’t be moving into a bad neighborhood, then. I always did like walking at night. Wouldn’t want to have to give that up. Tell me something, Ichigo. This is important.”

“What is it?”

“Have you ever seen her over there? Mom?”

“No.”

“I guess that’s my new goal then. Find mom,” Karin laughed, then winced slightly. “I sound like a little kid, don’t I?”

“Are you scared?”

“Not of the soul society, but of leaving this place. Dad, Yuzu, my friends. I’m afraid that there are things I can’t remember anymore. Mom. I don’t remember her very much at all. You’ll have to give me a picture or something to find her with. Promise you’ll visit me over there?”

“I promise. I’ll visit you all the time.”

 

Karin was sleeping. Well, not sleeping, but not exactly conscious either. These drugs they had her on were really something else. She heard a sliding noise. That woke her all the way up. She could see a silhouette crouching on her window ledge.

“Toshiro? Is that you?”

“Yeah,” he stepped from the window ledge onto the floor, and sat in a chair beside her bed. “Ichigo contacted the soul society trying to get in touch with Orihime. He wanted her to come heal you. With her powers it’s possible you would live.” Toshiro sighed. The exhale was a bit shaky. He took her hand. “Unfortunately, despite the fact that Orihime’s injuries from the battle Ichigo’s friends were in weren't serious, she still can’t pass back into this world until squad four is done healing her. She won’t make it in time.”

“That’s okay,” Karin said, squeezing his hand. “You know, for a kid, you’re pretty compassionate.” She laughed.

“Hey! How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not a kid! Anyway, you’re the one who’s just a kid!” he paused, then said more quietly, “you only ever get to be a kid.”

Karin looked at him for a long moment. “It’s okay. I’ll go to the soul society, right?”  
Toshiro stood up. “But what about your family? Your soccer team? Grandma Haru? All the important things in your life will be gone! How can you be okay with that?”

Karin pulled him down into a hug. He squeezed her tightly, and it hurt her injuries but she didn’t complain. “I’ve accepted it because I have to. Besides, I won’t lose everything, right? I’ll still have Ichigo and Rukia. I can search for my mom. And if you visit, I’ll have you, too. That’s a start, don’t you think?”

Toshiro was crying. She could feel his teardrops slowly being absorbed by her hospital gown.

“Of course you’ll have me. Of course. This isn’t the end.” Toshiro put one hand on her cheek and kissed her. It was gentle, and slow. Karin had imagined kissing him before, but this soft act of love was much better than any of the more aggressive and passionate fantasies she’d had before.

When they broke apart, he whispered, “I’ll find you in the soul society. And if you want, we can be together.”

Karin smiled. “I guess I have something to look forward to, then.”

Toshiro gave her another quick kiss before leaving through the window.

Karin lay in bed for a while, feeling her life continue to fade. She looked at the faces of her father, sister, and brother, all asleep in hospital chairs on the other side of her room. She was still sad, still afraid, but she had hope. Toshiro was right about more than just their relationship when that this wasn’t the end. She had come up with a plan for her death, the way other people planned for their life – find her mother, be with Toshiro, and become a soul reaper so that she can visit Yuzu and her father in gigai form. She would never see her friends again or play soccer with them. She was sad about that, but at least her death didn’t seem as hopeless as it first had.


End file.
